1,004 research outputs found
Binary black holes on a budget: Simulations using workstations
Binary black hole simulations have traditionally been computationally very
expensive: current simulations are performed in supercomputers involving dozens
if not hundreds of processors, thus systematic studies of the parameter space
of binary black hole encounters still seem prohibitive with current technology.
Here we show how the multi-layered refinement level code BAM can be used on
dual processor workstations to simulate certain binary black hole systems. BAM,
based on the moving punctures method, provides grid structures composed of
boxes of increasing resolution near the center of the grid. In the case of
binaries, the highest resolution boxes are placed around each black hole and
they track them in their orbits until the final merger when a single set of
levels surrounds the black hole remnant. This is particularly useful when
simulating spinning black holes since the gravitational fields gradients are
larger. We present simulations of binaries with equal mass black holes with
spins parallel to the binary axis and intrinsic magnitude of S/m^2= 0.75. Our
results compare favorably to those of previous simulations of this particular
system. We show that the moving punctures method produces stable simulations at
maximum spatial resolutions up to M/160 and for durations of up to the
equivalent of 20 orbital periods.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. Final version, to appear in a special issue of
Class. Quantum Grav. based on the New Frontiers in Numerical Relativity
Conference, Golm, July 200
Strong decays of radially excited mesons in a chiral approach
We study radial excitations of pseudoscalar and vector (q bar q) mesons
within a chiral approach. We derive a general form for a chiral Lagrangian
describing processes involving excited pseudoscalar and vector mesons. The
parameters of the chiral Lagrangian are fitted using data and previous
calculations in the framework of the 3P0 model. Finite-width effects are
examined and predictions for mesons previously not discussed are given.
Available experimental data is analyzed whenever possible. Possible hints for
exotic mesons and open interpretation-issues are discussed.Comment: 16 page
A simple model for the vibrational modes in honeycomb lattices
The classical lattice dynamics of honeycomb lattices is studied in the
harmonic approximation. Interactions between nearest neighbors are represented
by springs connecting them. A short and necessary introduction of the lattice
structure is presented. The dynamical matrix of the vibrational modes is then
derived, and its eigenvalue problem is solved analytically. The solution may
provide deeper insight into the nature of the vibrational modes. Numerical
results for the vibrational frequencies are presented. To show that how
effective our method used for the case of honeycomb lattice is, we also apply
it to triangular and square lattice structures. A few suggested problems are
listed in the concluding section.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, submitted to American Journal of Physic
Cost-effectiveness analysis of ceftazidime/avibactam compared to imipenem as empirical treatment for complicated urinary tract infections
Ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ-AVI) is a novel, fixed-dose combination antibiotic that has been approved in Europe and the United States for patients with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) based on results of a Phase III, randomized, comparative study (RECAPTURE study). The present analysis evaluated cost-effectiveness of CAZ-AVI as an empirical treatment for hospitalized patients with cUTIs from the Italian publicly funded healthcare (third-party payer) perspective. A sequential, patient-level simulation model was developed that followed the clinical course of cUTI and generated 5000 pairs of identical patients (CAZ-AVI or imipenem as empirical treatment). The model included additional impact of resistant pathogens; patients who did not respond to empirical treatment were switched to second-line treatment of colistin+high dose carbapenem in both groups. The time horizon of the model was five years, with an annual discount rate of 3% applied to both costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The analysis demonstrated that an intervention sequence (CAZ-AVI followed by colistin+high dose carbapenem) compared with a comparator sequence (imipenem followed by colistin+high dose carbapenem) was associated with a net incremental cost of €1015 per patient but provided better health outcomes in terms of clinical cure (97.65% vs. 91.08%; ∆ = 6.57%), shorter hospital stays (10.65 vs. 12.55 days; ∆ = 1.90 days), and QALYs gained per patient (4.190 vs. 4.063; ∆ = 0.126). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was €8039/QALY, which is well below the willingness-to-pay threshold of €30 000/QALY in Italy. The results showed that CAZ-AVI is expected to be a cost-effective treatment compared with imipenem for cUTI in Italy
BSSN in Spherical Symmetry
The BSSN (Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura) formulation of the Einstein
evolution equations is written in spherical symmetry. These equations can be
used to address a number of technical and conceptual issues in numerical
relativity in the context of a single Schwarzschild black hole. One of the
benefits of spherical symmetry is that the numerical grid points can be tracked
on a Kruskal--Szekeres diagram. Boundary conditions suitable for puncture
evolution of a Schwarzschild black hole are presented. Several results are
shown for puncture evolution using a fourth--order finite difference
implementation of the equations.Comment: This is the final version to be published in CQG. It contains much
more information and detail than the original versio
Many-particle interference beyond many-boson and many-fermion statistics
Identical particles exhibit correlations even in the absence of
inter-particle interaction, due to the exchange (anti)symmetry of the
many-particle wavefunction. Two fermions obey the Pauli principle and
anti-bunch, whereas two bosons favor bunched, doubly occupied states. Here, we
show that the collective interference of three or more particles leads to a
much more diverse behavior than expected from the boson-fermion dichotomy known
from quantum statistical mechanics. The emerging complexity of many-particle
interference is tamed by a simple law for the strict suppression of events in
the Bell multiport beam splitter. The law shows that counting events are
governed by widely species-independent interference, such that bosons and
fermions can even exhibit identical interference signatures, while their
statistical character remains subordinate. Recent progress in the preparation
of tailored many-particle states of bosonic and fermionic atoms promises
experimental verification and applications in novel many-particle
interferometers.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Tur\'an Graphs, Stability Number, and Fibonacci Index
The Fibonacci index of a graph is the number of its stable sets. This
parameter is widely studied and has applications in chemical graph theory. In
this paper, we establish tight upper bounds for the Fibonacci index in terms of
the stability number and the order of general graphs and connected graphs.
Tur\'an graphs frequently appear in extremal graph theory. We show that Tur\'an
graphs and a connected variant of them are also extremal for these particular
problems.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Continuous infusion of physostigmine in patients with perioperative septic shock: A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study with population pharmacokinetic modeling
Background
In the context of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, the clinical trial Anticholium® per Se (EudraCT Number: 2012-001650-26, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03013322) addressed the possibility of taking adjunctive physostigmine salicylate treatment in septic shock from bench to bedside. Pharmacokinetics (PK) are likely altered in critically ill patients; data on physostigmine PK and target concentrations are sparse, particularly for continuous infusion. Our objective was to build a population PK (popPK) model for physostigmine, and further evaluate pharmacodynamics (PD) and concentration-response relationship in this setting.
Methods
In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 20 patients with perioperative septic shock either received an initial dose of 0.04 mg/kg physostigmine salicylate, followed by continuous infusion of 1 mg/h for up to 120 h, or equivalent volumes of 0.9% sodium chloride (placebo group). Physostigmine plasma concentrations and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were measured; concentration-response associations were evaluated, and popPK and PD modeling was performed with NONMEM.
Results
Steady state physostigmine plasma concentrations reached 7.60 ± 2.81 ng/mL (mean ± standard deviation [SD]). PK was best described by a two-compartment model with linear clearance. Significant covariate effects were detected for body weight and age on clearance, as well as a high inter-individual variability of the central volume of distribution. AChE activity was significantly reduced to 30.5%–50.6% of baseline activity during physostigmine salicylate infusion. A sigmoidal direct effect PD model best described enzyme inhibition by physostigmine, with an estimated half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 5.99 ng/mL.
Conclusions
PK of physostigmine in patients with septic shock displayed substantial inter-individual variability with body weight and age influencing the clearance. Physostigmine inhibited AChE activity with a sigmoidal concentration-response effect
Asymptotically Matched Spacetime Metric for Non-Precessing, Spinning Black Hole Binaries
We construct a closed-form, fully analytical 4-metric that approximately
represents the spacetime evolution of non-precessing, spinning black hole
binaries from infinite separations up to a few orbits prior to merger. We
employ the technique of asymptotic matching to join a perturbed Kerr metric in
the neighborhood of each spinning black hole to a near-zone, post-Newtonian
metric farther out. The latter is already naturally matched to a far-zone,
post-Minkowskian metric that accounts for full temporal retardation. The result
is a 4-metric that is approximately valid everywhere in space and in a small
bundle of spatial hypersurfaces. We here restrict our attention to quasi-
circular orbits, but the method is valid for any orbital motion or physical
scenario, provided an overlapping region of validity or buffer zone exists. A
simple extension of such a metric will allow for future studies of the
accretion disk and jet dynamics around spinning back hole binaries
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